The Conjurers Bird Review

[Teresa]

If you read the Conjurers Bird by Martin Davies for the book club, please review it here.

What did you think of it? Did you enjoy it?

Please use this thread to discuss the book and let us know how you found it.

Thanks

Teresa xx

[Verry Raspberry]

OK, first of all, though we read this under "thrillers", I think this could be the least thrilling thriller ever!

BUT.....

I loved it! The premise is really interesting! I mean, how cool is the story of an extinct bird which only known specimen was randomly hunted in the Pacific, and now is lost? I enjoyed very much the way he wrote it too, as in two parallel stories, as I found myself alternatively more interested in one part than the other at different times, like at the beggining it was far more interesting to learn what was happening with Banks and this girl, but at the end it was more exciting to read about the search for the bird.

I also was very pleased when I read the note the author left at the end, explaining which parts of the story are based on real facts, so you know where he filled the holes with his imagination.

The part I enojed the most were the love scenes between Banks and his mistress, I totaly related to everything he wrote, and really really felt warm inside while I was reading! To me, that's the best way of writing about love scenes!

[Kerzen]

I agree that the interlocking stories was an interesting touch - although I kept skipping ahead to see what happened next!
I also agree that it was mislabelled - nothing thrilling about it, just an interesting idea, with, as you said, ingenious use of historical facts.

I actually found the love stories really depressing - in both the historical romance and the modern story of Fitz and Gabby's marriage the message seemed to be that love isn't enough.

I didn't find the character of Banks's mistress at all realistic though - she seemed far too modern in her morals and sensibilities, which is a shame as Banks came across very much as a man of his time. He seemed a much fuller and more realistic character, full of confusion and contradictions, with her mere a cardboard cut-out 'strong, independant woman'.

Did anyone understand the significance of the title? Who was meant to be 'the Conjuror'?

[Teresa]

I did enjoy this book and liked the idea of the two stories and how they interlocked throughout the book. I did not find it thrilling though so I don't think we read it under the correct theme. I'm also not too sure of the significance of the title. I did think that perhaps it was the way the bird kept disappearing and then it was conjured up at the end but I'm not sure.

It took me a while to get into it and I found the second half much better. I thought that Banks was quite realistic for the time but I didn't like his mistress much. I agree with Kerzen and think she was too modern.

I liked the way the older love story between Banks and his mistress determined the outcome of the modern day part of the novel. I did enjoy the book and it made me think but I didn't find it thrilling.